Ants and aphids

[Cmorti2]

I did my first vegetable garden this year but my plants are being attacked by ants and aphids. Ive tried garden safe insect killer, neem oil, currently trying sevin but they just keep appearing. Help

 

[DirtMechanic]

You need to establish a perimeter defense.

 

[Cmorti2]

I'm new to this can you give me an example of what i can do

 

[DirtMechanic]

Sure. First determine your chemistry. A lot of us prefer organic vs toxic chemistry. Down that road a indiscrimanent killer is spinosad. Your cat could eat it. They make a soap with it, that is sprayable. You can spray the grounds with it, and the plants, but do it at night so the flowers are closed. It can kill pollinators. Chewing insects get killed with Bt, A bacillus that again is no problem for you. Neem oil is a mild insecticide, but the oil harms aphids, and fungus as well. You spray the plants more often with that one. It is better for pollinators. Ants hate fungus by the way, so sugar and cornmeal both become cheap tools in your arsenal. The cornmeal attracts trichoderma, a fungus that is a mycoparasite, and thus eats other fungus. When dissolved in water the molasses or sugar is not available to ants, unless you puddle it. Boric acid and sugar are an old lure for insects. Another Bacillus, Bs, acts like penicillin and exudes enzymes in which many fungus cannot grow. Its crazy.